Creating a Retirement Plan For an Investment Savvy Couple in Their Second Marriage
Background: Meet George and Philippa
George and Philippa, a couple in their late 50s, approached us seeking clarity on how well their existing assets could support their ideal retirement lifestyle. Being in their second marriage, with children from previous relationships, they also wanted to ensure their plan considered the complexities of blended family dynamics and future estate needs.
Over the years, they had built a strong financial foundation. Their wealth included direct shares, inherited assets, and two investment properties held within their SMSF. They also held a sizeable cash balance that had been accumulating but remained underutilised. In addition to this, they owned their primary residence, rounding out a well-diversified asset base.
Key Results at a Glance
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Retirement:Able to retire at 65, with flexibility to scale back earlier.
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Tax Savings:Saving approximately $8,566 per year through concessional super contributions.
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Property:Deferred SMSF property sale by up to 4 years, improving control over assets.
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Low Cost :Reduced administration and insurance fees by over $2,700 annually.
Why Did They Seek Advice?
- The couple were looking for clarity on if what they had was enough to see them through retirement and allow them to move to part-time work for 2 or 3 years before their ideal retirement age of 65.
- To assess what age they would be able to retire at and what they would need to do in retirement to keep their investments providing for their lifestyle.
- To determine when to sell their SMSF-held investment properties and ensure their investment strategies were optimised
- To understand how they could maintain the value of their home if they chose to move in the future.
Strategies Implemented
Retirement Advice:
- Confirmed the couple could comfortably retire at age 65, with the option to scale back to part-time work earlier (Philippa at 63, George at 62).
- Built long-term projections to show how their income, assets, and investments would support them over a 25+ year retirement.
- Provided a clear, step-by-step retirement roadmap to improve confidence and decision-making.
Superannuation Advice:
- Recommended maximising concessional super contributions ($27,500 p.a.), delivering an estimated tax saving of $8,566 per year.
- Advised making non-concessional contributions of $300,000–$330,000 to strengthen their tax-effective retirement position.
- Transferred Philippa’s super into the couple’s SMSF to reduce duplicated administration and insurance costs, saving over $1,000 annually.
Investment & Portfolio Diversification:
- Updated the SMSF investment strategy to better align with retirement-phase needs.
- Recommended splitting investable funds between a Managed Discretionary Account and a diversified portfolio of funds and ETFs.
- Improved diversification, liquidity, and flexibility while reducing concentration risk.
Property Strategy within SMSF:
- Modelled when investment properties held in the SMSF would need to be sold to support retirement income.
- Identified that, without changes, property sales would be required in 2046.
- Implemented strategies that allowed the sale timeframe to be deferred by up to four years (to 2050), providing greater flexibility and control.
Cost & Administration Efficiency:
- Recommended moving to a more suitable SMSF administrator, delivering a holistic service and reducing accounting and admin costs by an estimated $1,700 per year.
- Streamlined the overall structure to minimise unnecessary fees and complexity.
Insurance Review:
- Identified that income protection and other personal cover were no longer required, as the couple could self-fund retirement.
- Retained life insurance strategically to support fair asset distribution between children from both marriages.
Estate Planning:
- Highlighted the need to review and update Wills due to the complexity of a second marriage and blended family.
- Offered to work alongside their estate lawyer to ensure financial and legal strategies were aligned and clearly documented.
Outcomes and Benefits
- Confirmed the couple can retire comfortably at age 65, with the flexibility to transition to part-time work earlier.
- Gained clarity and confidence around how their assets will support a 25+ year retirement.
- Achieved ongoing tax savings of approximately $8,566 per year through optimised super contributions.
- Strengthened their retirement position by consolidating wealth into super in a more tax-effective structure
- Deferred the need to sell SMSF investment properties by up to four years, providing greater flexibility and control
- Improved portfolio diversification, reducing risk while maintaining long-term growth potential.
- Reduced unnecessary SMSF administration and insurance costs by over $2,700 per year.
- Simplified their overall financial structure, making retirement easier to manage.
- Ensured estate planning considerations were aligned with their blended family circumstances.
Key Takeaway
Many people reach a point where their financial situation feels complex and difficult to navigate. This story highlights how tailored advice can simplify those decisions, uncover opportunities you may not have considered, and help you move forward with confidence toward your goals.
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Important Note
Produced with our client’s permission. Names within this case study have been changed to protect the client’s right to privacy. The content of this case study has been based on a real-life client. Any information provided here is general advice only and does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. This information should not be taken as comprehensive and does not constitute legal or financial advice. You should seek legal, financial or other professional advice before relying on any content. Yield Financial Planning is not responsible to you or anyone else for any loss suffered in connection with the use of this information. Information is only current at the date initially published.
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